Day 1:  

 

Our Team will meet you at Dublin Airport and brunch will be served in the luxurious surroundings of Castletown House, the oldest and largest 17th century house in Ireland,  After a guided tour of the house,  it’s just an hour's drive to the centre  of Ireland and to what Lonely Planet called “the most vibrant town in Ireland”, Athlone. 

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In the afternoon, we will take a Viking Cruise down the River Shannon to the 6th Century Monastic Site of Clonmacnoise. This beautiful scenic site contains some of the best examples of High Crosses and largest collection of early Christian grave slabs in Europe. www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/county-offaly/clonmacnoise

A half hour bus journey will return us to the hotel where A Hot Buffet Dinner will await us and afterwards we can all get to know each other with a traditional music session in the bar.

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Day 2:     

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At 10am we travel to BIRR CASTLE & GARDENS:

With over 70 hectares of land, Birr castle has something for everyone. It contains the world famous “Great Telescope” which was built in 1840 and for 70 years remained the Largest Telescope in the World. Its gardens date back to the 18th Century and includes a suspension bridge, a waterfall, A vast magnolia collection and the world’s tallest box hedges. www.birrcastle.com

 

Lunch will be served in Kinnity Castle Hotel, This castle dates back to the 19th Century and serves a fabulous lunch in its old library room.

 

Afterwards our professional genealogist will give a talk on Irish History, particularly focussing on the time period when your ancestors left Ireland.

 

 

Day 3:     

 

In the morning we will visit The award winning: Eco Crafts village in Ballinahown, Where the Celtic Roots Studios will show you how to Carve out a piece of bog wood . This beautiful piece of wood is over five thousand years old and after putting your special touch to it, it’s yours for keeps.

 

Alternatively, you can visit Lough Boora Wildlife Sanctuary, a Haven for Nature, where you can experience Ireland’s beautiful Biodiversity and Natural Wildlife Treasures. There are five different walking and cycling trails to suit all ages and abilities and you can try your hand at Bird watching or fishing.

 

Locke’s Distillery, Kilbeggan: After Lunch we will discover Irish Whiskey distilling at its finest. Kilbeggan Distillery is Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery and dates back to 1757. A tour of this working distillery shows you the methods of making Irish Whiskey from the 18th Century to the present time. You get a real feel, not to mention a taste for the whiskey! www.kilbeggandistillery.com

 

 

Day 4:     

 

Today is Your Day: We will individually bring you Home!

 

You will visit your ancestor’s Home Town or Village. You will walk in their footsteps, visit the local church where they worshipped, or the graveyard where their relatives are buried, or perhaps even the school where they were taught. We will see your ancestor’s church records and collect their birth or marriage certificate in the local government Offices. We will chat to the locals in the local pub and hopefully, we may even have found you a living relative to meet and an ancient homestead to visit.

That evening relax and share your experiences with your fellow Irishmen and women and enjoy a traditional Irish music Session in “Europe’s Oldest pub” – Sean’s Bar in the middle of Athlone.

 

 

Day 5:     

 

It’s our last day together and we’ll make it as memorable as the previous four days will have being. In the morning we will visit Tullynally Castle and Gardens. This beautiful and peaceful place has being home to the Pakenham family for over 350 years. It has 12 acres of gardens, including Walled Gardens, extensive woodland garden and 2 ornamental lakes. For Tree enthusiasts, there’s a special “tree trail”.

 

Lunch will be served in the Tea rooms which are set in the Castle Courtyard and all food is prepared on the premises using fresh local produce wherever possible. www.tullynallycastle.ie

 

 

In the afternoon we will visit Fore Abbey:

 

These ancient Ruins are the only remnants of a Benedictine Abbey in Ireland. It was founded by St Feichin in 630AD. When Ireland was known as the” Island of Saints & Scholars” , this Benedictine Abbey was a hive of activity, with 300 monks and thousands of scholars coming from all over Europe to study here.

It’s a beautiful place to wind up our holiday, sitting as it does within a tranquil valley between the Hill of Ben and the Hill of Houndslow. There are Seven Wonders of Fore but the Greatest Wonder is that after being burned 12 times from the 8th Century to the 12th Century, there is still so much to see here, 800 hundred years on. http://www.megalithicireland.com/Fore.htm

 

Our Luxury Coach will drop you off in Dublin City Centre on Thursday evening and after spending five days in the Heart of  Ireland, feeling relaxed and totally re-invigorated, you’ll be ready for all our wonderful Capital City has to offer you!